Depending on which news outlet you tune into, there has been no shortage of positive and negative opinions espoused regarding the recent peace summit between President Trump and North Korea’s, Kim Jong Un. Whatever your stance may be, there has been one thing that all the news sources did agree upon, it was an historically unprecedented event. No one can argue that President Trump was able to do something that no other president before him was able to accomplish, whether it was a Republican or a Democrat. He managed to get a one-on-one meeting with the ruthless and reckless dictator of North Korea to at least sit down and discuss measures of peace. That is what makes the event truly historical and unprecedented. The outcome of the event could go on to save thousands, perhaps millions of lives, by avoiding a war.

All of this reminded me about another historically unprecedented event that took place some 2000 years ago, with which the recent peace summit pales in comparison. Allow me to explain why. For thousands upon thousands of years before the major event I am referring to occurred, man had witnessed his fellow human being reach the end of their days and pass from this life, never to be seen or heard from again. Once a man died, that was it, there was no continuation of conversation, no more personal interaction, nor evidence of presence. He ceased to exist upon this earth. While painful and even dreadful at times, it was simply a fact of life. Until, “the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,” (Galatians 4:4). His Son came to this earth and became a human being, (John 1:14). He lived and breathed in the same manner that all humans do. Yet, He had a very specific purpose and different ending.

Jesus stated, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me,” (John 6:38). He went on to say, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,” (John 10:10). But the most shocking and significant statement He made was this, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day,” (Luke 9:22). This is exactly what happened. Jesus was arrested, falsely accused and tried, then crucified to death upon a cruel cross. They took His lifeless body off of that cross and placed it in a tomb, just like they would for any man who had ever perished from such a fate. That typically, would be the end of the story. But then, an historically unprecedented event took place, Jesus arose from the dead!

“He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once,” (1 Corinthians 15:5,6). No man had ever done that! No man will ever do that again! That’s what makes it unprecedented and historical. This is also why we call it the Gospel, which means “Good News!” The good news is, “by which also you are saved,” (1 Corinthians 15:2) This historically unprecedented event has gone on to save millions of lives and will continue to do so until the Lord comes again!